December 2003

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The great 'triever brain trust is missing one of its members. Chelsea is no longer with us. And her absence is being felt in several households today.

My friends Donna, Ronnie, and Candace had been Chelsea's humans for all but the first few weeks of her life. Chelsea was about eighteen months younger than Candace, which means the two pretty much grew up together.

And she was a wonderful Golden Girl. Smart, curious, well-mannered, you name a good Golden Retriever trait and Chelsea had it. She loved her people and her house and yard, and loved the lake that was also hers to play in. Oh, in case you don't know the term used above, the 'triever brain trust refers to how smart retrievers are in general.

Don't tell my dogfriend Zoe, but Chelsea is absolutely the only dog with whom I ever sat on a concrete carport slab in the wintertime. That was several Christmases ago, and we had a wonderful time.

Chelsea was another of those dogs for whom no amount of head petting was ever too much. If she wasn't through receiving, but you for some silly reason stopped petting her, she would nudge your hand until you complied. You were allowed to change hands if you were getting weary.

Chelsea's inquisitiveness got her into some trouble over the years---she had an unpleasant encounter with an automobile, and another unpleasant episode involving getting hit in the head during construction of a nearby house, both when she managed to get out of her own area. But she was well cared for, and recovered from both.

In the past year or so, she'd had some hip troubles, which we were all thinking would make it necessary for her to be euthanized last year. Amazingly, she recovered her mobility through some tender loving care and baby aspirin. We were astonished, but very pleased.

But late in the fall she developed a cancerous tumor, diagnosed earlier this month. It was growing rapidly, and we knew her days were short. Chelsea let it be known on Monday that it was time. The veterinarian was called and agreed to come to the house to administer the necessary drugs. So, as Chelsea was surrounded by people who loved her, her pain was eased and she slipped peacefully into her next life.

She is buried in the yard she loved. In addition to her humans, she is survived by two canine sisters, Angel and Lacee, and several feline and avian cousins.

Chelsea in her yard, with a rawhide bone, in 1998.

I am participating this year in Holidailies, a group of writers who promise to try very, very hard to update daily all month. I am familiar with the work of quite a few of the writers, and am enjoying becoming familiar with others.